This is a blog of news and essays aimed toward gay Mormons who wish to hold the Priesthood of God honorably (Men) or to remain active members of the LDS Church (Men or Women), their family and friends, or anyone who has questions about what it is to be a faithful Mormon, or a Mormon questioning... and gay.

Monday, September 16, 2013

I've been reading a bit about the Prop 8 situation from 2008. A recent article claims that the LDS church paid out tens of thousands of dollars in fines for improper procedures concerning its involvement, and that it was fined even more for funding a big hulk of the "yes" campaign. From what I see, that is not true.* (Please feel free to give me more information) Yes, the church paid $5000. in a fine for not reporting non-monetary contributions to the workers who were supporting the proposition. California law is worded differently, and the church plead guilty to not following the California law.

THIS IS RELEVANT. THE WHOLE THING IS STARTING AGAIN IN HAWAII

As far as the millions and millions that was given to the "yes" campaign? There was money paid -- by a political PAC, not a church group, not the Mormon church, but a political pro-Romney PAC created by Conservative Republicans and business people that included members of the LDS church.

This reporter then lists a collection of people and groups who are pulled from a "secret" list (it's on the Internet, buddy) of groups who gave money to the campaign. Here are a few that were of interest to me from the list they published:

Who gave the $40 million to the "Yes on Proposition 8 campaign"? - Public information from the California Secretary of State’s Office.

The National Organization for Marriage THIS IS THE ONE THEY SAID WAS FOUNDED BY THE MORMON CHURCH. IT WAS NOT. IT IS A SEPARATE ORGANIZATION LEAD BY SOME THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE MORMON CHURCH.$1,041,134.80*Princeton, NJ

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) gave: $225,000 on 1/22/08, $38,132.50 on 2/1/08, $47,402.25 on 2/18/08, $172,500 on 2/21/08, $108,000 on 2/22/08, $105,000 on 3/7/08, $50,000 on 4/14/08, $25,000 on 4/18/08, $25,000 on 4/18/08, $100,100 on 4/24/08, $25,000 on 4/25/08, $20,000 on 7/30/08 and $100,000 on 10/21/08.

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is headed by syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher, President and Brian Brown, Executive Director. Gallagher has worked for several other organizations before founding NOM. She is best known for being in the center of a (George W.) Bush Administration scandal. She had a $21,500 contract with the Health and Human Services Department in 2002 to help promote the administration’s $300 million “healthy marriage” initiative, but did not disclose her contract and was using her column to promote the program. Gallagher attempted to withhold this information until she finally admitted the conflict four years later. [2]

Due to its sizeable early financial support of ProtectMarriage.com, NOM is chiefly responsible for the qualification of Proposition 8. Their funds made it possible to hire the signature gathering firm of Bader and Associates. Bader then was able to hire hundreds of professional petition circulators to collect the necessary signatures to qualify Proposition 8 for the November ballot. The Protect Marriage Campaign spent $1,227,263 with the Bader organization alone between January and June of 2008.

Alan Ashton$1,000,000 on 10/28/08 Lindon, UT

Alan Ashton is the co-founder of Word Perfect Corporation and a former professor at Brigham Young University. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and a grandson of former LDS Church president David O. McKay.

Focus on the Family$539,643.66*Colorado Springs, CO

Focus on the Family gave: $50,000 on 12/4/07, $22,259.46 on 1/22/08, $10,834 on 1/28/08, $50,000 on 4/7/08, $250,000 on 6/13/08, $20,000 on 7/24/08, $9,152.63 on 7/29/08, $1,669.37 on 8/6/08, $21,402 on 9/4/08, $4,306.83 on 9/4/08, $1,739.37 on 9/15/08 and $100,000 on 10/28/08.

Founded in 1977 by Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family is the most powerful evangelical ministry in the country. Focus on the Family is located in Colorado Springs, CO and is now run day-to-day by President & CEO, Jim Daly, but James Dobson is still the face and voice of Focus on the Family. Their 2005 budget was $129 million and they have 1,300 employees. They advocate creationism and have called same-sex marriage “the most radical human experiment.”

The American Family Association$500,000 on 7/22/08 Tupelo, MS

The American Family Association (AFA) of Tupelo, Mississippi was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon. He serves as Chairman and his son Tim is President. According to its web site, “AFA exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth and traditional values.” They are established as a 501(c)(3) Corporation and according to their IRS Form 990 for 2007, brought in $22.5 million. AFA owns over 180 American Family Radio stations in 28 states across the country. [3] AFA has led several national boycotts against companies such as Walt Disney (1996–2005)www.afa.net/disney Ford (2005) www.boycottford.comand just launched a boycott against McDonalds Corporation www.boycottmcdonalds.com all due to their support of fairness and equality for gays and lesbians. AFA is currently targeting the Hallmark Card Company because it began selling a same-sex wedding cards.

David Moon

$200,000 on 10/28/08 Alpine, UT

The Vineyard Group, LLC$160,000Mesa/Queen Creek, AZ

1223 S. Clearview Ave., Mesa, AZ 85209 • Tel: 480.222.5800

The Vineyard Group gave: $25,000 on 6/23/08, $35,000 on 7/15/08 and $100,000 on 10/29/08.

The Vineyard Group is part of Cardon Hiatt Bowden, a real estate and investment company based in Mesa, AZ. Principals include Elijah and Craig Cardon, Broc Hiatt and Brent Bowden, many of whom were big financial backers of Mitt Romney for President. Broc Hiatt is a Director of the New York based Institute for American Values, where NOM founder Maggie Gallagher is an Affiliate Scholar.

Michele Adams Watterson$100,000 on 10/29/08 Cache, UT

Watermark Investments, LC

Roger Boyer$100,000 on 9/17/08 Salt Lake City, UT

Katharine Garff$100,000 on 10/29/08 Bountiful, UT

Belinda Vandersloot$100,000 on 10/28/08 Idaho Falls, ID

Belinda Vandersloot is the wife of Melaleuca–The Wellness Company President and CEO Frank Vandersloot. Melaleuca (www.melaleuca.com) is one of the world’s largest online and catalog retailers offering wellness products to its customers, who also enjoy the benefits of community membership.

Does the LDS church or any other church have a right to believe that the family should try to be structured one way? Yes. And, I think every church has a right to promote its teachings.Does it have the right to tell people they don't have the choice? My understanding is that the church is not telling us whither or not we can choose. They are letting us know what they think the consequences of that choice will be. That is their right. We have agency to choose. We also have agency to create for our familes the kind of home we wish to have in order to raise children happily and healthily.What say you on any of this?

A Reasonable Facsimile

This is not a gay blog!

OK, yes it is. But it is also a Mormon blog and a blog for priesthood men who honor their priesthood and wish to keep the LDS church an active part of their lives. I am all three... four. Five?

I am an active MarMoHo, a married Mormon homosexual. I have a temple recommend that I received honestly. I supportthe LDS church and the words of a living prophet. I support people who are gay. It can be done.

Apology for the ad below

Please forgive me if there is an ad in the space below is inappropriate. I am trying to figure out how to block the ads I don't wish to display. They pay for the ice in my Diet Coke

Cal Thompson

Followers

Gay Mormon men who cherish the priesthood and would like to honor their commitments!

Please be aware of sites on the blog-o-sphere that claim to be sympathetic to the teachings of the prophets. Some very well may be. Others are simple journal entries annotating the experiences of an individual with various degrees of success and or promiscuity. Not all can be as wonderful as mine. I hate to sound like the church lady, but chose your blogs and your friends wisely.

And eat your vegetables.

And Fruits!

About Me

I write under the name of Calvin Thompson. I am a creative, accountable, and loving man. I am a Mormon who is also gay. I am married and have 3 children. My bishop is in-the-know, and so is my wife and several of my close family members. I consider myself to be a closet conservative, which is not as strange or as un-popular as you might think, and will be increasingly popular as a growing number of the left improves it's proverbial and literal aim.
I believe that LDS people are Democrats in action - as in they try to take care of people, but Republicans in name - they want to do it themselves without regulation.
I believe that the messier the fridge, the happier the family, but I still have a hard time not straightening it because I'm a control freak. My wife knows I blog, and that I am writing a book – I try to keep things as above board as I can without setting myself up for public ridicule.

"Chastity is sexual purity. Those who are chaste are morally clean in their thoughts, words, and actions. Chasitity means not having any sexual relations before marriage. It also means complete fidelity to husband or wife during marriage."

I order to better understand one another, I think it would be wise to understand the terms used in these essays. What I propose is an Examination for Discovery, which is briefly a meeting of the opposing sides in a lawsuit where the plaintiff and defendant, with their attorneys, meet to examine each others claims and see whether they can find some area of agreement and thus save the time of the court later on. This is assuming that there is common ground, and I believe that even the most cynical of us would agree that there is.

It will be hard to understand one another if you think blue is periwinkle and I think blue is turquoise. I know that the differences may not be a big deal - between periwinkle and turquoise - but I think its best to be incredibly clear. We both may disagree on what blue is, but, for purposes of communication, we will use the terms as listed here - adding when needed.

Of coarse they may be subject to change and/or refinement with experience and further knowledge – and with feedback. Being that this is a blog and not a diatribe, I get to lead I suppose.

List of Common Terms On Which We May Agreeor Agree To Agree On For Sake of Discussion*

For sensitivity reasons we wanted to run this list past my Gramma Ruby, which would have been really helpful not to mention miraculous because she died at an Elizabeth Dole Rally in Boise)

Active: 1) A lifestyle characterized by frequent or various social, intellectual, and particularly physical activities; 2) In geology, a volcano which erupts regularly; 3) A member of the LDS Church who is often seen carrying brownies, scriptures or children back and forth to Church.

Affirmation: 1) A positive assertion. 2) An organization for LDS homosexuals and the people that love them, but not affiliated or supported by the LDS Church.

Sentence: Falling off of the stage was the affirmation she needed to confirm the universality of gravity.

Sentence: The LDS SGA think OGA from ID, WO and MT dress like the NFL.

Beehive: 1) Home to bees, 2) A height-positive sixties hair style which many Mormon women continued to wear through the seventies and into late nineties and early 00’s with a slight revamp; 3) Young woman’s organization of girls who can’t drive yet.

Choice: 1) A decision between two or more option, and often referred to as free agency, personal rights and freedom.

Sentence: The choice for Juan Carlo was to either be eaten alive by the anaconda or jump from the boat into the mouth of the hungry crocodile.

Church: 1) An identifiable religious body under a common name; 2) a physical structure often equipped with a satellite dish, food warming area and an indoor basketball court.

Sentence: The ambulance and two squad cars were sent to the ball game at the Church between the elders and the priests due to last year’s “incident.”

Closet: 1) Upright storage space for clothing; 2) Slang reference to the status of an individual wishing to remain private about his/her sex life and who hasn’t acknowledged their SGA feelings yet to friends and family members.

Sentence: He had been in the closet so long he smelled like cedar and old shoes.

Coming Out: 1) The act of leaving a building or structure. 2) The process of telling people about one’s homosexuality is often referred to as coming out.

Conversion therapy, or reparative therapy or reorientation therapy: 1) A type of sexual orientation change effort that attempts to change the sexual orientation of a person from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual. In the past techniques have included psychoanalytic group therapy involving aversive conditioning, electric shock or nausea-inducing drugs, and may have included sex therapy. Today there seems to be a more subtle and genteel approach which is being met with more success,

Down Low or DL : 1)This term means different things to different people, however generally it connotes dishonesty and hiding. 2) A term for men who discreetly have sex with other men while in marital relationships with women. Often these men do not consider themselves homosexual or bisexual, and their female partners are generally not aware of these infidelities.

Ex-Gay: Term for those who have experienced SGAttraction and who, for religious or other reasons, have chosen not to embrace a gay identity, or to engage in SGA behavior.

Family Group Sheets: 1) Forms used in annotating genealogy; 2) Money saving tactics for Mormon families at bedtime.

Sentence: Laverne and Lavelle grab your sister and a family group sheet and get you off to bed.

Families are Forever: 1) LDS catch phrase originating in the early eighties - referring to the belief that temple sealed families created on earth can move into the next life together. 2) The prevalent attitude after two weeks of dealing with the new in-laws.

Sentence: Did you hear our new sister-in-law-sing the Duran-Duran Medley? Are families really forever?

Folk Doctrine: 1) Doctrines that develop from prevailing rumor.

Sentence: Three stakes in Pocatello have been asked to spear-head a pilot program for the Churches new Work and Glory aerobics program.

Gay: 1) A happy and joyful method of celebrating holidays often sung about in English Carols and Fred Astaire films. 2) A common term for an individual attracted to their same gender. Gay has been a widely used synonym of "male homosexual." Its meaning is rapidly evolving to refer to both male and female homosexuals. Some people differentiate between homosexual and gay: homosexual is regarded as a sexual orientation; gay is a political identity -- i.e. an advocate for equal rights for persons of all sexual orientations

Gender: 1) The set of characteristics that distinguish between female and male members of a species. It is often used interchangeably with the word "sex" denoting the condition of being male or female.

Genealogy: 1) An activity Mormons do happily while praying to hook up with a distant relative who has done all the work.

Sentence: Brother The-Hun was a bit disturbed when his grandma showed him his genealogy line went directly to some guy named Attila.

Heterosexual: 1) People whose emotional, sexual and romantic feelings are primarily for those of the opposite sex or having to do with opposite sex attraction.

Homophobia: 1) An irrational fear, prejudice or discrimination towards homosexuals. Homophobia can take many forms, from name-calling and teasing to serious crimes like assault and murder. Homophobia like other irrational fears is most often based on ignorance.

Homosexual: 1) People whose emotional, sexual and romantic feelings are primarily for those of the same sex or having to do with same sex attraction.

In: See out.

Last days: 1) A horrific time of floods, famines, political strife and food storage eating – much like yesterday.

Sentence: The last days of a back to school sale appear to be frequented by women on a weekend pass from the state hospital.

Lesbian: Term to describe sexual and romantic desire between females.

Lifestyle: The term lifestyle (as in gay lifestyle) has become a polarizing term though used by gay and lesbian people in the past. “Those in the lifestyle” usually means “those who identify as gay", though it may refer to behavior as well as identity - much as LDS lifestyle would mean those living the teachings or of the culture, or East Coast Lifestyle may refer to black turtle necks, bookstores and apartment living.

Many are called, but few are chosen: 1) What I keep telling myself when I am asked to be on the ward activities committee again.

Mixed Marriage: For our purposes here, a union between one of “heterosexual” orientation with one dealing with SGA.

Out: See in.

Prophet: 1) A man called of God who holds the keys to direct the Church and to speak for Jesus Christ. The President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a chosen prophet, seer and revelator.

SSA: 1) Acronym for Same Sex Attraction. The LDS Church prefers SGA, (which I always thought stood for Star Gate Atlantis reruns) but actually means Same Gender Attraction. SSA and SGA are terms not highly favored among the gay community. Neither, for that matter, is the phrase “gay community”.

Sentence: ST-TNG and SGA are playing all week on SI-FI.

Sin: To behave in a manner that is contrary to the revealed commandments of God.

Transgendered: A designation of person whose identity does not conform to conventional notions of male or female gender roles.

Quotes, Quotation Marks: Tool used to set apart a word or phrase. For our purposes here, generally speaking, using quotation marks to denote words such as “gay” or “homosexual” is offensive. If you are not comfortable with using a term from the “so-called other side”, then it is recommended that a substitute which doesn't involve quote marks is found.

Sentence: I am offended that “he” just used quotations on the phrase other side.

Straight: 1) A direction which veers neither to the left or the right. 2) A slang term used in the place of heterosexual.

Sentence: The geography club, Straights of Magellan is not accepting new members.

Strait is the gate and narrow is the way: 1) Popular scripture quote used to encourage righteous living and weight loss.

Tithing: 1) One tenth of one’s income donated voluntarily to the LDS Church for upkeep and needed things.

Sentence: Ten percent of nothing is still nothing.

Urim and Thummim: 1) Tool used by Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon. 2) What I wish I had to understand my kids text messages.

Wickedness Never Was Happiness: 1) What Cal’s first missionary companion in the MTC from Macon Georga wrote on his left bicep with a sharpie when visas to Central America didn’t come through on time. 2) Comment made by those on their way to Church when a boat or motor-home pulls up in the next lane of traffic.

Preference,not Principal

Blue shirts, red ties, dark nylon socks...

This is a blog for Mormon SSA* men who wish to follow the teachings of the LDS church while owning their Homosexuality. It can be done! This blog-spot is written by a sort-of smart gay man who is a card-carrying member of the LDS church and hopes to remain so. He will remain so by following the teachings of the prophets. His motto for today is "Many a true word spoken in jest," and he will try to not be so charming.

Mr. Thompson thinks he knows just about everything. Lately, it has been proposed that he may, in actuality, not. He is trying to be open to that thought.

Mother Teresa

Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world